Naming the Stars
by seren23
Summary: Her hand absently rose to play with a small pendant hanging from a delicate chain around her neck and she blushed. "It turns out that the risk we sort of talked about? Well, it was totally worth the effort."pre-ship Ronon/Keller, very slight Torchwood x-o
1. Chapter 1

**Naming the Stars**

**Fandom:** _Stargate: Atlantis/Torchwood_  
**Rating:** T  
**Spoilers:** Both seasons of **Torchwood** and at least Season Four and the very beginning of Season Five of **Stargate: Atlantis**. Mr. Woolsey is in charge and Teyla had her baby.  
**Pairing:** pre-ship Ronon/Keller, Jack/Ianto  
**Disclaimer:** Neither fandom belongs to me. The title and excerpts are taken from the poem **Naming the Stars** by Joyce Sutphen. Check her out!  
**  
Summary:** "Well. This is annoyingly typical," Jennifer said as she stared at the very closed, very heavy, very locked, steel doors.  
**  
A/N:** This is my first foray into **SGA** and **Torchwood** and I had way too much fun with this story. This will consist of three chapters that are more or less already written, so updates will be pretty quick. Please let me know what you think!

* * *

**Chapter 1**

_This present tragedy will eventually  
turn into myth, and in the mist  
of that later telling the bell tolling  
now will be a symbol, or, at least,  
a sign of something long since lost.  
_

"Well. This is annoyingly typical," Jennifer said as she stared at the very closed, very heavy, very locked, steel doors.

"Has this happened to you before?" the young man standing next to her asked.

"Yes," she said flatly. "Apparently Jen the Jinx can strike not only in a galaxy far, far away, but also in England."

"Wales," the young man corrected. And then when Jennifer looked at him added, "Actually."

"I beg your pardon," she said graciously. "Wales."

Cardiff, to be exact.

Due to SGC's new 'partnership' with the British government's top-secret alien division, Torchwood, there had been a series of goodwill gestures. Selective pieces of information were being shared between the organizations as well as personnel. Woolsey had approached Jennifer with Torchwood's request that a medical officer visit their offices to take a look at a 'specimen' that had fallen through their rift. The preliminary blood tests on the creature contained all the characteristics of a type of virus found in the Pegasus galaxy that Jennifer had researched and treated successfully.

Apparently the 'specimen' was actually a feline-like creature that was roughly the size of a Great Dane and it had already bitten someone by the time the Torchwood team managed to tranquilize and contain it.

Since Torchwood was still short a doctor who could adequately analyse viruses and SGC had one available, Jen was informed her presence and specialized medical expertise was requested on Earth. In other words, Jennifer had less than eight hours to report to the Gate Room for the trip to Earth.

So, here she was. In Cardiff. A city where it appeared that all the rain in the universe liked to spend it's free time. Not that she'd done any sight-seeing. Jennifer's main goal was to determine: a) if the virus was from Pegasus, b) if it was treatable, c) treat the infected and d) get back home to Atlantis. Back to... Well, back home to Atlantis was good enough, Jen figured.

As it turned out, the virus was not from Pegasus, which meant she and the rest of the Torchwood team had to analyze 'Moggy' (Ianto had a tendency to name things) and that meant Jennifer spent close to twelve hours in front of a microscope until she made a breakthrough. Luckily, the virus was very similar to the Pegasus one and Jennifer only had to make some minor modifications to her original vaccine.

The victim's prognosis was very optimistic and Torchwood, not to mention the British government, was very appreciative. So, since Jennifer's scheduled departure wasn't until the next day, she had happily accepted the grand tour of the Torchwood hub.

She was actually impressed with the Torchwood team. And despite the lingering sadness she seemed to glimpse from time to time, Captain Harkness was probably the most charming man she'd ever met and Gwen seemed very professional and always happy to assist. And of course Ianto was efficient and probably perceived a lot more than he let on and had some of the most wicked one-liners.

However, as much as she liked and respected the team, Jennifer was less than pleased to be locked in with Ianto. In their Archives. Their Archives located in the basement.

All she had done was follow Ianto into the labyrinthine area to just browse some of their more interesting artifacts and to maybe, possibly, identify some of them. They'd taken less than a few steps into the basement when klaxons went off and the large steel doors slammed shut and the locking mechanism clanked heavily into place.

After the requisite futile banging on the doors and yelling for help, they then stood side by side and examined the doors.

"As much as I like to take the blame for ridiculous situations, I really don't think this is me this time," Jennifer said. "Do you have any idea what may have happened?"

"In this place, it could be anything from an alien with a deity complex, a surge from the Rift that activated the emergency protocols, one of our former staff having risen from the dead to wreak havoc," Ianto told her. He titled his head thoughtfully. "Or perhaps the pterodactyl accidentally got tied up in wires somewhere."

Jennifer blinked once and took that all in and finally decided upon, "You have a pterodactyl?"

"Mmm hmm, Myfanwy," Ianto said as he stared at the doors. "I'll introduce you."

"'Kay, thanks," Jennifer said absently.

They stared at the door for a few moments. Ianto pulled his Blackberry out of his pocket and held it up over his head, then out to the side, titled his head and grimaced.

"No signal," he said.

He sighed. Jennifer remembered that SGC had allocated her one as well and fished it out of her pocket. She shook her head at Ianto's raised eyebrow.

"Right. Jack knows we're down here," Ianto said finally. "He'll get us out."

"Okay," Jennifer said. "If you're sure."

"I am. Mostly," Ianto said. "Well, definitely probably."

"I can live with definitely probably," Jennifer said with a smile. "If you'd said definitely maybe, I'd have worried."

Ianto looked over at her and returned her smile with a small grin.

Jen looked around the area at all the storage units packed neatly onto rows of shelves. The harsh fluorescent lights were reminiscent of the ones in dressing rooms that always made you cringe when you looked in the mirror and the floor was a light gray slate that looked far from soft.

"You know, all you need is a few throw pillows and it'd be pretty comfortable," she commented dryly.

"I'll remember to pick some up on my next trip to Ikea," Ianto replied. "I think there are some chairs or stools somewhere."

He walked down one of the aisles and Jennifer followed him, not terribly keen on being alone. They reached the end of the aisle and Ianto looked left and then right. He hesitated a little and then headed to the left.

"You have no idea which way to go do you?" Jennifer asked.

"No, not really," he said. "It's been awhile since I was down here for longer than a few minutes."

Jennifer nodded in understanding. She watched the letters change on the sides of the bookcases as they headed further into the alphabet.

"So, this type of thing happens to you often?" Ianto asked.

"Oh yeah," Jennifer said. "If anyone needs to be kidnapped, locked in somewhere or fall down a very large hole, I'm your girl."

"Sounds exciting," he said.

"Oh yes," Jennifer agreed. "Highly diverting. Although, it sounds like this isn't your first brush with a basement prison."

"Not by a long shot," Ianto said. Then he stopped and looked at Jennifer with a oddly blank face. "You aren't planning on eating me are you?"

"Ah, no? No, I'm not," Jennifer answered with wide eyes. Ianto sighed in relief and smiled.

"Ah right then," he said and continued walking. "Then this will go a sight better than the last time I was trapped in a basement."

They strolled through the Archives and then around the 'R's Ianto let out a triumphant "Ah ha!"

Two small fold-out chairs were smack in the middle of the row. Jennifer and Ianto exchanged a smile and sank down onto the chairs.

After a few moments of fidgeting and crossing and uncrossing of legs, Ianto let his feet land heavily on the floor and looked over at Jen.

"The floor is probably more comfortable," he said.

Jennifer could only laugh.

* * *

Thirty minutes later found the pair of them sitting on the floor, legs outstretched in front of them, chatting companionably.

"Captain Harkness?" Jennifer said with wide eyes. "Really? Actually wait. That totally doesn't surprise me."

"Really?" Ianto said. "Surprised the heck out of Gwen."

"You are a lucky, lucky man," Jennifer snickered.

"Yes, yes I am," Ianto said smugly.

Jennifer laughed outright.

"And yourself?" Ianto asked. "Met any strapping young aliens out there?"

Jennifer choked a little on her laugh. Ianto raised his eyes at her sudden coughing fit.

"I'll take that as a yes," he said with a smirk.

"No," she croaked out. She swallowed and tried again. "No, it's... Not like that. I mean, there isn't... It isn't... Not that he isn't strapping... It's just..."

Jennifer gave up and slumped against the bookcase.

"Ah. Like that is it?" Ianto said. Jennifer sighed heavily.

"He's not even in the same room, heck, the same freakin' galaxy as me and he manages to get me all flustered," she said.

"Does this promising young extra-terrestrial have a name?" he asked with a smirk.

Jennifer opened her mouth to tell Ianto all about ex-Runner, Specialist Ronon Dex, but then froze. She closed her mouth and bit her lip, completely unable to speak. It was seriously illogical, she knew, but a part of her believed that if she actually put voice to the desire, the wishing, the utter longing for him, that it would somehow seal her fate. However, if she kept it all inside... Well, then it remained less tangible and more like a simple crush than the all-consuming want that it truly was.

She looked at Ianto helplessly. He smiled back.

"I completely understand," he said.

Jennifer smiled weakly at him and then turned her head and stared at her shoes.

"However," Ianto continued after a few moments. "It's often the ones we can't describe that are worth the effort."

Jennifer turned her head to look at him sceptically. He shrugged a little.

"And the risk," he finished.

* * *

One hour later and Ianto was in the midst of giving Jennifer the previously promised tour of the Archives.

"And we have no idea what this is," he said indicating a complex metal structure made out of circles and squares. "My best guess is a truly complex Rubix cube."

He tilted his head and stared at the object.

"Or possibly a kitchen utensil," he said. Jennifer laughed and traced the shapes with a finger.

"You have a lot of stuff down here," she said. "All of this came through the Rift?'

"Yes," Ianto said with a sigh. "I actually find it kind of sad really."

"Really? Why?" Jennifer asked.

"Because it's all just here," he said with a wave indicating the rows of the bookcases. "And we have no idea what 95% of it is. All of these potential historical artifacts. Or potential tools. All of the possible use and knowledge we could gain from all of them and they're just sitting here. Unused. Forgotten."

"I thought you all tried to analyse them?" Jennifer asked.

"We do. Did," Ianto said with a sad smile. "We, ah, lost, our resident analyst. So that has unfortunately slid by the wayside."

Jennifer nodded and gave Ianto a small squeeze on the arm in understanding. He flashed her a grateful look. Then he set to placing the metal object back into it's case. Jennifer wandered a little ways down the aisle and came across a blank metal box slightly bigger than a shoebox labeled Sloper Road, 18 June 1999.

"What does it mean if it just has a street name and a date on it?" she asked.

"That generally means we truly have no idea what or where they came from," Ianto answered still occupied with the metal thing. "If our language database can't pick up anything, then we just label it with where and when we found it."

"Hmm," Jennifer said. "May I look in this one?"

"Suit yourself," was the response.

Jennifer pulled the metal box off the shelf and put it down on the floor and sat cross-legged in front of it. She undid the small metal clasp and opened it. She glanced briefly at the Torchwood form on the top and set it aside. Then she examined the contents and her jaw dropped.

"Oh my God," she whispered.

* * *

"Once again Dr. Keller," Captain Harkness said as they walked outside of the Millenium Centre towards the SUV that would transport Jennifer to her flight to Denver. "Please let me apologize for the unintentional lockdown."

"Really Captain," Jennifer reassured the man with a warm smile. "It was no problem. I'm just glad you managed to counteract the bug in the system and get the doors open before Ianto was forced to eat his tie."

Captain Harkness gave her one of his trademark smiles and Jennifer realized, and not for the first time, that this man's charm alone was a lethal weapon.

"Well, I'm very glad it didn't come to that," he agreed. "I like his ties way too much."

"Oh, I bet," Jennifer replied with a grin.

Captain Harkness laughed outright. "Oh, I like you Dr. Keller. Anytime you feel like returning to Earth for the long haul, please remember to look us up."

"You got it," she said. They shook hands and Jennifer turned to get inside the SUV.

"Dr. Keller!" Ianto called as he rushed towards them. He carried a bulky, black, messenger bag. Jennifer stopped and faced him with a smile.

"I already told you," Jennifer teased. "I can't take Moggy with me. She and Myfanwy are just going to have to get along."

"Funny," he said mock glare. "You forgot this."

He handed her the bag and Jennifer looked puzzled but took it, opened the flap and looked inside. Her head snapped up to Ianto; her mouth hung open in slight disbelief.

"But," Jen tried. "I thought... I mean... It's classified...?"

"They would be put to far better use where you're going than here," he said with a serious face.

Jennifer closed the satchel and placed it carefully in the SUV. Then she turned around and launched herself at Ianto and hugged him tightly. Ianto was taken aback for a second, but then smiled and hugged her back. Harkness just raised an eyebrow and looked amused.

Jennifer pulled back from the hug and kept her hands on Ianto's shoulders.

"Thank you," she said with barely concealed emotion.

"You are most welcome," Ianto said just as seriously.

Jennifer gave him a brilliant smile, nodded again to Captain Harkness and got into the SUV. She gave them one last wave and the SUV headed out of the Centre.

"Ianto," Jack asked casually as they watched the SUV drive away. "Did you just give away Rift artifacts?"

"Absolutely not, sir," Ianto replied impassively. "The logs indicate that we had a serious case of water damage and unfortunately some of the smaller storage units were damaged beyond repair."

"Water damage?" Jack repeated with a grin.

"Water damage," Ianto confirmed.

"Such a shame," Jack said with a rueful shake of his head.

"Oh yes, sir" Ianto agreed. "Terrible shame."

_  
to be continued..._


	2. Chapter 2

**Naming the Stars**

**Spoilers:** Both seasons of _Torchwood_ and at least Season Four and the very beginning of Season Five of _Stargate: Atlantis_. Mr. Woolsey is in charge and Teyla had her baby.  
**Pairing:** pre-ship Ronon/Keller, Jack/Ianto  
**Disclaimer:** Neither fandom belongs to me. The title and excerpts are taken from the poem _Naming the Stars_ by Joyce Sutphen. Check her out!

**Summary:** He took his eyes off of her and thumbed the clasp and then opened the box. He froze. Every single muscle in his body just stopped moving.

* * *

**Chapter 2**  
_  
This will be another one of those_ _loose changes, the rearrangement of hearts..._

Jennifer breathed in deeply, adjusted the strap of the messenger bag, picked up her duffel and then walked through the Stargate. She emerged on the other side and smiled at the sight of Teyla holding a sleepy Torren as they waited for her on the steps. Mr Woolsey stood at the base of the steps and stepped forward.

"Dr. Keller," Mr. Woolsey greeted her. "Welcome back to Atlantis."

"Thank you," she said as she put down her duffel bag and shook his hand. "It's very good to be back."

"I understand from the preliminary reports that you were able to assist the Torchwood team most ably," he said. "I look forward to reading your report."

"I'm halfway finished with it sir," she said.

"Very good," Mr. Woolsey paused and then said. "I also understand that you experienced a slight.. mishap while in their offices."

"Oh, yes," Jennifer said with a slight grimace. "It was nothing. A small bug in their computer system enabled their lockdown. Thankfully it was resolved very quickly and no one was the worse for wear."

"Good to hear," he said with relief. "Well, I'm sure you're exhausted. Have that report on my desk sometime tomorrow."

"Yes sir," she said.

Woolsey nodded at her and at Teyla who was descending the stairs and then left the Gate Room.

"Jennifer," Teyla said warmly. "It is very good to have you home."

"Thank you Teyla," Jennifer said with a smile. She smoothed a finger down Torren's face. "And how is my guy?"

"Actually sleeping longer than three hours at a time," Teyla answered wryly. "Did you have a good trip?"

Jennifer hefted her duffel bag and they headed down the hall to her room.

"Not bad actually," Jennifer said. "I was pretty impressed with Torchwood's facilities and their staff. They seem to be able to roll with the punches almost as well as we do."

"High praise indeed," Teyla grinned.

They reached Jennifer's room and she dropped her bag on her bed, then Jennifer carefully removed the messenger bag and put it on her desk.

"You must be tired," Teyla said. "We'll let you rest. But, please join us for dinner tonight."

"Us?" Jennifer asked as she turned around.

"Oh yes," Teyla said adjusting her hold on Torren. "Shepperd and the rest arrived from their off-world excursion only an hour before you did. I plan to see them at dinner."

"Oh, well. I wouldn't want to intrude," Jennifer said.

"You know very well it would be no intrusion," Teyla admonished. "And I know they would be most happy to hear of your trip."

"Well, okay," Jennifer said at last. "I'd be delight-- Wait."

Jennifer narrowed her eyes and gave Teyla a look. Teyla returned the look with exaggerated innocence. Jen sighed.

"The entire base knows I got trapped in a basement, don't they?" she said.

Teyla looked a little sheepish.

"It may have come up during a briefing," she admitted.

Jennifer groaned and flopped onto her bed.

"Crap," she said. "I knew it."

"Jennifer, come to dinner," Teyla ordered. "I'm sure no one will mention it."

Jennifer raised her head slightly and gave Teyla a look.

"Well, I'm sure they won't mention it in a mean way," Teyla amended. "Please come."

"Okay, okay," Jennifer said sitting up. "But only to see who won the pool."

"Fair enough," Teyla said with a smirk. Torren began to fuss and Teyla moved him to rest against her shoulder. "8 o'clock."

"8 o'clock," Jennifer said. She waved at Torren as they walked out the door and flopped back onto her bed. She stared at the ceiling for a few minutes and then got up to unpack. Once she'd put the last of her clothes in her laundry pile, she took out her travel tablet to hook it up to her main terminal. She walked over to her desk and caught sight of the messenger bag. Jen put her tablet on the desk and stared at the bag. She bit her lip and with hesitant fingers, opened the bag and looked at the metal box inside. Her fingers hovered over the box and then made a decision. She closed the flap of the messenger bag and headed into her bathroom to take a shower before dinner.

***

Jen was a few minutes past eight when she made it to the mess hall. She stopped by the infirmary before heading to dinner and had gotten pulled into assisting the doctor on call and catching up with everything she'd missed.

Apparently while it appeared that she herself couldn't stay out of trouble, luckily her infirmary could. Other than a few routine colds and everyday injuries, no major catastrophes had occurred. However, she was told that when a certain Satedan had entered the infirmary with a gash on the back of his hand and was informed that Dr. Keller hadn't returned, he'd just growled and walked out without treatment.

After hearing this, Jennifer berated her stomach and informed it that it was completely petty and unprofessional to suddenly fill with happy butterflies.

She'd also stopped by her desk just to see how many messages and appointments she was going to have to deal with in the morning when she reported for her shift. Jen looked up when she heard one of the nurses exclaim over a wound on a Marine. The nurse was carefully debriding the wound and Jen remembered the last time she'd seen Ronon before leaving for Earth...

_"Hey Doc," came Ronon's deep voice from behind her. Jen turned around from the computer terminal and smiled at the Satedan standing in the middle of the infirmary liked he owned the place._

_"Ronon," Jen greeted him and hopped off her stool to walk over to him. "And what have we done to ourselves today?"_

_"Not me," he said with a grin and jerked his head over his shoulder to indicate Major Lorne being seen to by the other doctor. Evan was sporting a nice slice right above his right eyebrow._

_"Oh no," Jen said with a chuckle. "A lucky shot?"_

_"Luck had nothing to do with it," Ronon said still grinning._

_Jen laughed and walked over to the Major. Ronon followed and stood so close behind her she could feel the warmth of his body._

_"Major," Jen said in mock serious tone. "Just the other day you were telling me how much you hate the smell of antiseptic and yet, here you are."_

_"Yeah, yeah, I know. I ducked when I should have dipped," Lorne groused. "Just stitch me up."_

_"Dr. Taylor, have you got this under control?" Jen asked the other doctor with a smirk in Evan's direction._

_"Oh sure Dr. Keller," the older woman said with a grin. "Easy as pie."_

_"Make sure you use the thin suture stuff," Lorne told Dr. Taylor. "Unlike some people, I'm not a fan of scars."_

_"Oh, but chicks dig scars, Major," Jen said with a smile. She patted Dr. Taylor on the back. "Have fun."_

_Ronon stepped back and let Jen turn around and walked with her back to her worktable. Jen perched on the stool with a small sigh._

_"You on for much longer?" he asked._

_"Oh! Umm," Jen checked her watch and then looked at her computer screen. "Well. Yes, actually. I'm on shift for another five hours and I swore that I'd get through this batch of research before I stopped for the day."_

_"Who?" Ronon asked._

_"Who what?" Jen said confused._

_"Who did you swear to?" he clarified._

_"Ah myself, actually," she admitted wryly. She shook her head at the screen. "It's taking much longer than I thought."_

_"Are you going to finish it all in the next five hours?" he pressed as he leaned against the table and stared at her intently. Jennifer snorted._

_"I don't think I'm going to finish this in the next five weeks," she said glaring at the screen._

_"Then you can eat dinner with me tonight," Ronon said. Jen's eyes flew up to his face._

_"I, I can?" she got out._

_"Yep," he said. He reached out a finger and slid her bangs out of her eyes. "You can. In five hours. At 1800 sharp."_

_"Okay," she said faintly. Ronon just grinned and sauntered back over to where Lorne was still being stitched up. Jennifer just watched his form move away from her and then quickly faced her screen and bit her lip trying not to grin like a mad woman.  
_  
Of course, she had been contacted an hour later with the request to get packed and ready to depart for Earth and only had the time to send Ronon a quick message that she wasn't going to be able to meet him. Jennifer had felt terrible that she hadn't been able to tell him in person and spent most of the trip, when not wrestling a large cat or being locked in, worried that he may have been offended.

So when she stood in line and looked around the hall, she fought valiantly with the urge to just grab something and go back to her room. But, Jen waved back when she caught sight of Teyla waving at her. She felt her face flush when she realized that Ronon was seated opposite Teyla and Col. Shepperd and Ronon had turned in his seat to look at her. Jen smiled weakly and he just quirked his lips and nodded at her. She just stared until the Marine behind her cleared his throat and she realized that the line had moved. She cringed a little and with an apology moved forward.

Jennifer quickly filled her plate with the kitchen's version of soup and salad, grabbed a water and headed over to the table.

"Hi," she greeted the table. She gingerly sat in the empty chair next to Ronon and smiled at them.

"So glad you could join us Jennifer," Teyla said warmly.

"Welcome back Doc," Shepperd said with a smile. "How was Cardiff?"

"Wet," Jen answered with a quick look at Ronon's profile. "Very wet."

"Heard you ran into some trouble," Ronon rumbled while he attacked his food.

Jen sighed and shook her head.

"I swear," she said to her chicken soup. "Rodney could run this place on the power generated by the gossip mill alone."

Shepperd snorted and Teyla smiled. Ronon just frowned and abandoned his food to lean closer to her.

"Well?" he prompted. "What happened?"

Jen took a bite of her soup to give herself a moment before answering. She chewed carefully and then took a sip of her water and chanced a glance at him. Ronon just raised that impressive eyebrow showing that he totally saw through her procrastination ploy. She rolled her eyes.

"It was really nothing," Jen said at last. "A glitch in their system caused a temporary lockdown. I was unfortunately in their Archives when it happened, so I was a little trapped."

"For how long?" Shepperd asked around a sandwich.

"Not long," Jen shrugged while she speared a piece of lettuce.

"How long?" Ronon asked.

"Ah, four hours," she said and then quickly dove into her salad.

"Alone?" Ronon asked, not letting it drop.

"Oh! No, with one of the Torchwood employees, Ianto Jones," Jennifer said looking up.

"Was he pleasant company?" Teyla asked innocently and then looked askance at Shepperd who'd started to choke on a bite. He grabbed his water and waved away Teyla's concerned look.

"He was very good company," Jen said with a glare in John's direction. "A perfect gentleman."

"A gentleman," Ronon muttered and then turned back to his food with a kind of aggression that startled Jennifer.

"Sorry Doc," John said once he'd caught his breath. "I didn't mean to imply anything."

"Un huh," Jen said wryly. "I bet."

"So, it was just a simple lockdown," Shepperd commented. "No bad guys or medical outbreak or you know, kidnapping attempts?"

Jennifer cocked her head and pinned the Colonel with a look.

"No. No outbreaks or bad guys," she said suspiciously.

"And no kidnapping?" he asked earnestly. "You're sure?"

"I think that by now, I know when I'm being kidnapped," Jen said flatly. "And there was no kidnapping."

"Fine, fine, alright," John said holding his hands up. "If you're sure."

"Yes, I am. I'm... Oh, wait," Jennifer broke off as realization dawned. She crossed her arms over her chest and asked, "Just how much did you lose?"

Ronon stopped eating and looked from Jen to Shepperd and narrowed his eyes at the Colonel.

"Fifty bucks," Shepperd mumbled.

"John!" Teyla admonished while Ronon rumbled a little. "You bet on Jennifer's well-being?"

"Hey! No! I mean," John held up his hands. "I heard she was going back to Earth and Lorne approached me about the pool. It seemed like a sure thing."

Teyla smacked his arm and Ronon dropped his fork and growled.

"That did not come out right," Shepperd said rubbing his arm. He looked at Jennifer who looked down and bit her lip. "Doc, I'm sorry. I didn't mean anything by it."

Jen just nodded and then shook her head a little.

"Jennifer, are you okay?" Teyla worriedly asked.

Ronon transferred his glare from Shepperd and looked at Jen with deep concern in his eyes. Then to his utter amazement, he heard her snort.

Jen raised her head and it was suddenly apparent that she was trying very hard not to laugh. Ronon blinked and Teyla smiled at the doctor. Shepperd breathed a sigh of relief.

"It's okay," Jennifer reassured them while a big grin. "I'm just sorry I can't bet on myself."

"Hey, talk to Lorne," Shepperd said expansively. "I'm sure you two can work something out."

Jen laughed and looked over at Ronon. The man couldn't help himself, he grinned at her.

"So," Jennifer asked after a few minutes of eating. "Who did win?"

"Známá!" a voice called from the entrance of the mess hall. The table looked over and watched Radek Zelenka stride over and take Jennifer's hand to shake it heartily. "I am so very glad to see you here and completely unscathed!"

"It's, ah, very good to see you too, Radek," Jennifer said bewildered.

"I understand you had a very eventful trip," Zelenka said continued to shake her hand. "But one with absolutely no bloodshed or tears or violence of any kind!"

"Um, yes," she said. "That's right."

"In fact, the only calamity was you being stuck in an enclosed space for a short period of time, correct?" Zelenka went on.

"Yes, that is all that happened," Jen said with an understanding smile. She looked over at Shepperd. "I take it this is the winner?"

"Yeah," John said with a grim look directed at Zelenka.

She smiled at Zelenka and pointedly looked at her hand still in his grasp. He beamed back oblivious.

"Zelenka," Ronon said giving the man a hard look. "I think the Doc would like her hand back."

"Hmm? Oh! Of course!" Zelenka let her hand go. Jennifer surreptitiously flexed her fingers and smiled at the scientist.

"Well! I'm off to make sure McKay hasn't made any of the scientists cry or quit in the last hour," Zelenka said. "Dr. Keller, it is very good to have you back!"

"Thank you Dr. Zelenka," Jennifer said still highly amused. She shook her head as he left the mess hall and turned back to the table. "Wow. Do I want to know how much he won?"

"No, you really don't," Shepperd grumbled.

They spent the next half hour updating Jennifer on their off-world trips and the new batch of Marines that had arrived in her absence.

"They're soft," Ronon grumbled.

"Compared to you, big guy, everyone's soft," John said. Ronon just shrugged and shifted in his seat. The move got him just that much closer to Jennifer and she could feel the familiar warmth his body always radiated.

"What's the Torchwood team like?" John asked Jennifer.

"Well, they're..." Jen thought for a moment, then smiled a little. "They're good. They seem like a pretty tightly-knit group and from what I understand, they've been through a lot and have still managed to function pretty well. Some of their tech is pretty amazing and considering they have to spend the majority of their time hiding what they do from the general public... Yeah, they're okay."

"I hear that their Captain is quite something," Teyla said with a little smile. Jen chuckled.

"Oh, he's something alright," she said with a smirk, then she realized that everyone was looking at her to elaborate. "Oh, and devoted to his team. A good leader. Takes a real... hands on approach, you could say."

John looked like he was going to say something, but Teyla reached up to tap her earpiece and said, "Oh, thank you. I'll be right there."

She smiled apologetically at the group.

"Apparently Torren has decided that he too must have something eat," she stood up from the table. Everyone followed her and they all began to walk out of the hall.

"Yeah, well, I've got to go check on the schedule for tomorrow," Shepperd said. "Make sure nothing's happened in the last couple of hours that requires me to kick someone's butt."

"I should probably get to bed," Jen admitted. "I have a shift first thing in the morning."

"Well then, good night to all of you," Teyla said. She placed a hand on Jennifer's arm. "I'm very glad you're back."

"Me too," Jen said smiling.

"Good night," Shepperd said and with a quick nod to Ronon, he and Teyla headed off in their separate directions.

Jen looked up at Ronon and blushed to see that he was studying her.

"Um, hi," she said.

"Hey," he said with a smirk. "I'll walk you to your room."

It wasn't a request, so Jen just nodded. They walked to the transporter in silence, got in and stood in silence. Ronon leaned against the side wall, arms crossed over his chest and she felt his eyes on her. She bit her lip and watched the numbers change on the display. But, finally Jennifer couldn't take it anymore.

"I'm really sorry," Jen blurted out as she turned to face him. "About leaving. You know, so quickly. Did... did you get my message?"

"I got it," Ronon said.

"Oh, good," she said. "Umm. I'm sorry that I couldn't tell you in person, but Woolsey had me out of here so fast..."

"Jen," he stopped her. "It's fine. He explained."

"Oh," she said again. "Well... Okay."

Jen turned to face the front of the transporter, but stopped when Ronon's hand reached out and in a familiar move, he pushed her bangs away from her eyes with a finger. Jennifer reminded herself to breathe.

"We'll just have to have dinner tomorrow," he said with a small smile.

"Okay," she said softly.

The transporter doors opened and it took Ronon finally just smirking at her to get her legs to cooperate and walk towards her room. They walked down her hallway and Jen tried to fight off a yawn, but it escaped. Ronon chuckled as they came to stand in front of her door.

"Umm, well," Jen said unsure of how to end the evening.

Ronon just smiled.

"Get some rest Doc," he said, his eyes were warm. "You had a long trip."

"Good night Ronon," Jennifer said with a smile. He just grinned and headed off down the hallway.

She watched him walk away and smiled to herself and went inside her room. Jen started to take her jacket off but stopped when she caught sight of the black messenger bag still on her desk. Her face fell as she considered the contents.

"Do I do it now?" she said to herself. "Or wait until morning? God, do I do this at all?"

She shook her head. Of course she did it. Not doing it wasn't an option. She cringed a little at the thought of keeping this a secret.

"The question remains, Keller," she said out loud. "Now or tomorrow?"

Her answer came when the yawn that escaped her was so wide, her jaw popped.

"Sleep Jen," she mumbled. "You'll need your strength tomorrow."

Jennifer changed into her pyjamas and was asleep the second her head hit the pillow.

***

However, she found herself wide awake at 5:00 am and completely unable to sleep any longer. She tossed and turned for another thirty minutes and then gave up and threw her covers back. She got up, showered and dressed. Jennifer stood in the middle of her room and stared at the messenger bag. She checked the clock. 6:12 am.

Jen was due in the infirmary at 7:00 am, so she decided to take her chances and just go for it

A few minutes later she found herself in front of a door and having second thoughts again. She made a move to just turn around and go back to her room, but before she could completely lose her nerve she waved her palm over the sensor to alert the rooms owner of her presence.

A minute passed and Jen sighed with relief. Not home. She turned to head back to the transporter and ran into a large Satedan shaped wall.

"Doc?" Ronon asked sounding amused as he grabbed her shoulders to keep her from falling. "Everything okay?"

"Wow. Um, yes, hi," she said. She pulled away a little and looked up at him, now really unsure of how to do this. He must have been out running, because he was slightly sweaty and his dreads were pulled back.

Ronon just looked at her. She looked nervous and was clasping a metal box so tightly in her hands, he could see her knuckles were white. He immediately got concerned.

"Jen? Are you okay? What's wrong?" he asked furrowing his brow.

"No!" she croaked. She cleared her throat. "No, I'm fine. Everything's fine. I just... Um... I have something that I needed to show you. Or well, give you."

Ronon looked puzzled but reached out to palm open the door and indicated that she should go inside. Jennifer swallowed and walked in. She stopped a few feet inside his room and breathed in the scent of leather and something very similar to sandalwood. Ronon walked around her and stood in front of her. He still looked puzzled.

"Do... Uh, do you want to sit down?" he asked.

"Oh, no," Jen said. She took a deep breath to school her thoughts and then started talking. "When I got locked in the Torchwood Archives, I got a chance to look through some of the stuff they've accumulated over the years. Stuff that came through the rift in Cardiff. Have you heard anything about the Rift? I mean, you know what it is?

She looked up to see if Ronon was following her.

"McKay was going on about it one day at lunch while you were gone," Ronon said, his brow still furrowed. "Basically, it's this unstable power source that somehow pulls stuff from all over into it."

"Yeah, that's it more or less. It actually has a heck of a reach. It can pull things in from all over the universe it seems," Jen said. She looked down at the box and then up at Ronon. She thrust the box at him. "This belongs to you."

Ronon studied her and then took the box from her hands. She pulled her arms back to wrap around her waist and chewed her lower lip. He took his eyes off of her and thumbed the clasp and then opened the box. He froze. Every single muscle in his body just stopped moving. Then he exhaled and stumbled backwards to land heavily on his bed. He just stared at the contents of the box.

"According to the retrieval form," Jen explained softly as she watched him. "Those were found inside of a small, early model of a rocket. The rocket itself was badly damaged by the atmosphere, but the container that held everything remained fairly intact. It looks to be a time capsule of sorts. They didn't know where it came from. It just appeared in downtown Cardiff one day. I happened to open the box and, well... I remember some of the Satedan alphabet from an Ancient tablet I read once."

Jennifer stopped when Ronon seemed to flinch a little. But she had to make sure.

"It... I mean... They are, aren't they? From Sateda?" she asked tremulously.

"Yes," he rasped. He face fell a little and he reached a hand into the box, but didn't actually touch anything. He let his hand just hover over the objects. He set his jaw.

Jen felt extremely uncomfortable and decided that she should probably leave. She half turned towards the door.

"I, um. I'll just - go now," she said hesitantly. Ronon made no movement, no indication that he even could hear her. "And let you, you know."

She turned around and palmed the door and had one foot in the hallway when she heard a soft voice behind her call, "Jennifer."

She whirled around, but he still had his head bent over the box and wasn't actually looking at her.

"Thank you," he got out. Jennifer smiled a little.

"Your welcome," she whispered. Then she turned and left.

_to be continued..._

* * *

A/N: Thank you very much to the people who have left me such kind reviews! This story basically sprung Athena-like from my head and I'm having so much fun with it.

Hopefully, the reveal of who the box truly belongs to was worth it. All of my research into Sateda revealed that it was supposedly as technologically advanced as the United States circa 1930. That being said, in 1935, Robert H. Goddard successfully launched a liquid-fueled rocket which is the foundation for modern rockets. Therefore, the idea that Sateda would also have been trying to create rockets is not that far-fetched. Just what is in the box will be in the next chapter.

Známá - is Czech for female friend.

However, please let me know what you think! Reviews are always loved and revered.


	3. Chapter 3

**Title:** Naming the Stars  
**Fandom:** _Stargate: Atlantis/Torchwood_  
**Rating:** T  
**Spoilers:** Both seasons of _Torchwood_ and at least Season Four and the very beginning of Season Five of _Stargate: Atlantis_. Mr. Woolsey is in charge and Teyla had her baby.  
**Pairing:** pre-ship Ronon/Keller, Jack/Ianto  
**Disclaimer:** Neither fandom belongs to me. The title and excerpts are taken from the poem Naming the Stars by Joyce Sutphen. Check her out!

**Summary:** "I don't think you realize what you've given me," he said softly.

**A/N:** Thank you so, so much for all of the reviews! It spurs me on like nothing else! There will be an epilogue after this chapter and I may do a sequel of sorts.

I have taken gratuitous liberty with the Satedan language and based it on Tongan which is spoken in the kingdom of Tonga in Polynesia. Guess where that inspiration came from? *grins sheepishly* I've also expanded on the the rings in Ronon's hair and since I couldn't find any specific pictures of them (And believe me, I looked. A lot. Very hard work looking at pictures of Ronon Dex on Google ;), I've taken liberties once again with their shape and origin. All of the things listed in the time capsule are actually pretty similar to the objects in the Westinghouse Time Capsules buried in Flushing Meadow Park in New York and scheduled to be opened in 6539 AD.

Sorry for the massive author's note! Please let me know what you think!

* * *

Jennifer spent most of the morning trying to get caught up with all of her messages and research. When she wasn't frantically writing people back and organizing her research, she was frantically worrying about Ronon.

She knew from previous conversations that he had come to terms as best as a person can with the fate of his world. Shortly before she'd left he'd even brought up stories about his family and hometown without being prompted.

That however, did not mean that he didn't still mourn their passing. And while Jennifer was finally able to admit to herself that they were obviously teetering on the precipice of a possible relationship, had she crossed a line?

Therefore Jen found herself at one point standing in the supply closet, a bag of saline solution held limply in her hands and staring blankly at the wall berating herself for dragging all of his history back in front of him.

What right did she have to dump all of those little reminders on him? What if he'd just wanted to forget all about it? What if he was angry? What if he was sad? He'd said thank you. But, was that just a reflex? Did he mean it? Should she go find him? Should she tell Teyla?

Jennifer finally stopped herself when Marie called to her to take a look at one of the engineers who had just come in.

The doctor then didn't get much more of chance to think about anything for the next several hours. The engineer, a Dr. Perry, had presented with a severe pain in his mid-section and a high fever. A quick test confirmed acute appendicitis and Jen scrubbed up immediately.

The surgery started out fairly routine, but a small complication arose and Jen found herself in surgery for several hours trying to counteract the infection and keep the rest of him clear. Once she finished, it was well past the end of her shift and nearly past dinnertime. She stayed in the infirmary for a little longer to monitor Dr. Perry. Once he regained consciousness from the anaesthetic and had been gently scolded for letting the pain go on so long, Jennifer decided to call it a day.

She grabbed her jacket from her office and debated on whether or not she should go and find Ronon.

Still in the midst of an internal debate and absently struggling with the zipper on her jacket, she walked out of the infirmary and for the second time that day, ran straight into the Satedan in question.

She bounced off his chest and his hands grabbed her upper arms to steady her. Jennifer blinked in disbelief. He smiled at her. Her eyes widened at the sight.

"You know," he said lightly. "I'm beginning to see a pattern here."

Jen just stared and because she has no control over what her mouth does, she asked in a rather high voice, "What are you doing here?"

Ronon frowned and removed his hands from her shoulders.

"Dinner," he told her. "We're eating it."

"Oh. Oh! Are you sure? I mean," Jen said with a wave of her hands and a flap of her jacket which was still not zipping. She looked down and tried to sort out her jacket and avoid his eyes. "I wasn't sure if…"

She broke off when Ronon bent his head a little and took the end of her jacket into his hands. He carefully fitted the zip together and slowly raised the zipper. When the zip reached her chest, Jen held her breath and his hand brushed so very slightly against her. She swallowed and looked up and nearly swayed at the intense look in his eyes.

"I'm hungry," he said in a deep voice.

"Wha?" Jen said dumbly.

Ronon dropped his hand and smirked at her. Jen just looked down at her neatly zipped jacket and then back up at Ronon.

"I'm hungry," he repeated. "And I hear you've been in surgery for hours and I'm betting you haven't eaten yet."

"I haven't," she said absently. "But…"

"You have somewhere else to be?" he asked.

"No," she said with a relieved smile and because she was so happy he wasn't angry, the truth just came out. "I think I'm exactly where I'm supposed to be."

Ronon simply grinned and they walked towards the mess hall.

Jennifer stole a glance at him. He seemed extremely relaxed and almost jovial. Well, as jovial as the man got. He caught her looking at him and just smirked while she blushed.

They were almost to the mess hall when Jen stopped him with a hand on his arm.

"Ronon," she started. "I just want to--"

"Jennifer," he interrupted. He placed a warm hand over hers. "Food first. Explanations later. Okay?"

His thumb moved in a slow circle on her hand and she could feel the hard muscle of his forearm.

_God_, she thought to herself. _Like I'm capable of denying this man anything._

Jennifer just nodded and smiled. Ronon squeezed her hand and they let their hands drop down to their sides as they entered the mess hall.

They stood in line and got their food. Jen had to bite her lip at the amount of food he put on his plate and at how the kitchen staff just shook their heads in amusement. He just grinned and actually winked at her. Jennifer laughed out loud.

Once they'd loaded up their trays, she followed Ronon to a a table where Shepperd, Teyla and Rodney were already seated and almost finished their dinners. Before they reached the table, Ronon whispered, "This okay?"

Jen looked at him in surprise and kind of touched that he'd asked her.

"Of course," she reassured him. "I haven't talked to Teyla all day."

"I figured," he said.

They joined the others and said hello. Jennifer sat down and inspected her food, while Ronon just plunked himself down and dove in.

"So I hear that Perry the Pest is in the infirmary," McKay said to Jen. "What did he do, tie his shoelaces wrong and fall down the stairs?"

"He's got appendicitis actually," Jen said glaring at him. "He spent five hours in surgery today, so be nice."

"See, I knew it," McKay said pointing his spoon at her. "He'd been complaining, 'Oh my stomach', 'Oh the pain'. But he wouldn't listen and go get checked out and now I'm going to be short an engineer for the foreseeable future."

He took a large bite of his pudding and said, "You can never be too careful. That's why I always go to my check-ups on time."

"And we're always so happy to see you," Jen said in a flat voice.

Shepperd and Teyla hid their grins. Ronon didn't.

"Cute," Rodney said with a glare. He narrowed his eyes. "What's this I also hear about you getting locked into a basement with some cute guy? You made Zelenka's year, by the way. Last I heard, he was going on about some state of the art bird cages."

Jen flushed and glared at Rodney. Ronon stopped eating and looked at her.

"Jennifer, you didn't mention he was attractive," Teyla teased, not missing the look Ronon was giving Jen.

"Yeah Doc," Shepperd added with a playful leer. "'Pleasant company', hunh?"

Jen switched her glare to Teyla and John.

"Ianto is a very nice, very smart, very involved guy," she informed them. "You could not meet a more involved fellow anywhere. And believe me, I'm not exactly on the team he bats for."

She bit back the juvenile 'so there' that threatened to escape and stabbed a piece of faux-ravioli on her plate.

"Not the team he… Oh! Well," McKay said and went back to his pudding.

"He was nice?" Ronon said grumpily as he stabbed a piece of mystery meat.

"Yes, very. He actually helped me, um, acquire something that would have normally been difficult to get," she said softly. Ronon paused mid-chew as the meaning of this statement dawned on him. He swallowed and continued to shovel food into his mouth, but leaned his leg against Jennifer's under the table. Jen smiled to herself and continued to eat her dinner.

"Smart you say," McKay said with narrowed eyes. "How smart?"

"Smart enough. Perceptive," Jen said. She thought for a moment. "Laconic."

"What's that?" Ronon asked around a massive bite of food.

"Oh, someone who can sum up a thought in two or three words instead of twelve," Jen explained.

"So the complete opposite of McKay?" Ronon observed. The table laughed and McKay just made a face.

"Funny," McKay said.

They continued to eat and converse comfortably for quite awhile before everyone started to head off to their respective rooms and labs.

Ronon and Jen found themselves in a very similar situation to the evening before; alone in the hall and a little unsure of where to go.

"I, um, should probably go back to the infirmary and check on Dr. Perry," Jen said. "I'm on call tonight."

Ronon nodded.

"Will it take you long?" he asked stepping a little closer.

"Hopefully not," Jen said staring up at him.

"Would you… Could… Come by my room after," Ronon said in a rush, his eyes were dark and serious. Jen's eyebrows rose a little. Ronon softened his stare. "If that's okay."

"Yes! Yeah, that's fine," Jen said quickly. "Um, I'll be there in about an hour or so?"

Ronon nodded once and then turned and headed to the transport. Jen turned and walked slowly towards the infirmary.

After she checked on a comfortably sleeping Dr. Perry and made sure the night staff knew to alert her if anything changed, Jennifer found herself back in front of Ronon's door.

She raised her hand to signal her presence. The door opened immediately. Ronon stood there, his dreads loose around his head and his weapons off. She'd also let her hair down out of it's ponytail and she noticed Ronon's quick perusal of her. She smiled nervously.

"Hi?" she said.

"Hey," he said. They stood there. Ronon seemed to shake himself out of it. "Come in."

"Thanks," Jen said and she stepped inside. She inhaled the scent of his room happily.

"Why do you do that?" he asked from behind her.

"What? Do what?" she asked as she turned to face him.

"Take a deep breath whenever you walk in here," he told her, an earnest look on his face. Jen felt her face burn.

_Oh, sweet Jesus, he noticed_, she thought. _Good luck with this one Keller, you idiot_.

"Oh, um, because…" she floundered and then because this was obviously a day for complete and total stupid honesty. "It smells nice. In here. It smells, warm and comfortable. I like it."

Ronon was completely thrown for a moment, but recovered with a slow smile.

"And your room doesn't? Smell nice?" he asked as he stepped closer.

"Oh well, it does, I guess," she babbled. "You don't really notice what you smell like, after awhile... But, you always smell others. Sometimes that's what attracts you to other people. Pheromones. Although, there's really never been any conclusive evidence that that's what's at work. But the olfactory bulb is part of the limbic system and that's why a smell can really remind you of something from your childhood or…"

She trailed off. Ronon reached up and with what was becoming a signature move, traced his finger across her forehead and moved her bangs out of her eyes, but then let the finger trail down the side of her face. Her skin simultaneously flushed and broke out in goosebumps and the butterflies renting out her stomach started tap dancing.

"Then I can't wait to smell your room," he said in a rumble. She froze at the blatant implication of that statement and then Jennifer broke out into a big smile and laughed a little.

"Anytime," she said grinning.

Ronon raised an eyebrow and smirked. "Careful, Doc, I may take you up on that when you least expect it."

"Fine by me," she said still grinning. He laughed deeply.

They stared at each other for a few minutes, then Ronon got very thoughtful and looked down at the floor. Then coming to some kind of decision he walked away and went over to the small table next to his bed and picked up a familiar box. Jen felt her mouth get a little dry and her nerves came back in full force. Ronon sat down cross-legged on his bed and put the box down in front of him. He turned his head and his deep green eyes met and held Jen's for a moment. Then he tilted his head in invitation to come over. She walked over and sat gingerly on the bed, adopting his cross-legged position and just waited for him to speak.

"I don't think you realize what you've given me," he said softly. Ronon looked up at her briefly and then back down at the box. He pulled out three leather books. "These are books everyone had in their home: an herbal remedy book, a Maha, umm, I'm not sure of the English word, it tracks the sun and moon, the seasons?"

"An almanac," Jen supplied.

"Almanac. Okay. This one..." he paused and placed his hand flat on the cover, "This was created especially by our Elders for the rocket. It lists our history. The history of Sateda. Our battles, our leaders, our accomplishments." He breathed deeply and smiled wryly. "It even includes our failures. Our failure to hide ourselves from the Wraith."

Jennifer could barely breathe, let alone speak. She just watched as this amazing man laid himself and his world bare before her. He set the books aside. He reached inside the box and pulled out a small case filled with small glass vials containing what looked like seeds and roots.

"Our crops. Things that grew well on Sateda, what we based our food and livestock on," he said. He finally looked up at her and shrugged. "I was thinking that maybe the plant people might like to see them. I don't know if they'd grow here, but..."

"I think it's worth a try," Jen said quietly. "I think they'd love to see them."

Ronon nodded and put the vials down. He smiled a little as he lifted another small book and an object made out of wooden blocks.

"Tales for Satedan children," he said. "Uh, fairy tales, I think you call 'em. And this is what most kids play with. The blocks come apart and can be put back together in different ways."

He demonstrated and made a square, then a rectangle, then a triangle, his large hands nimbly moved the little pieces. Jen felt tears threaten in her eyes and burn the back of her throat. She swallowed heavily and forbid herself to fall apart.

"I'm thinking Teyla might like them for Torren," Ronon said as he set the blocks on his bedside table. Jen nodded.

He pulled out another slightly larger book with dashes and circles on it and put it on the bed.

"Music," he told her. He seemed to hesitate, but then reached into the box and pulled out a flat brown leather case. He turned it over in his hands and then reached for the thin leather cord that held it together. It opened and revealed a row of silver rings, not unlike the ones he wore in his dreads, and a set of thin pendants.

"Each one has meaning," he said. "Each one is made differently from the other, to signify the individuality of the wearer and their status. They're given to us at important times in our lives, like when we marry or choose an occupation. The colors and patterns have different meanings."

He took one of the pendants and handed it to Jen. She held it in her palm and gazed at it. The gemstone was a clear green, lighter than jade and small silver leaves like ivy, wrapped around the top and bottom. It was thin and delicate looking, about the size of a nickel, but the workmanship was perfect and reflected strength and beauty all at once.

"Ronon, this is beautiful," she said sincerely. "The gem is so clear. I've never seen a color like this, what kind of stone is it? "

"It's called lanu-maka. It signifies honesty, intelligence and goodness," he said roughly. He cleared his throat. "It's yours."

Jennifer's head whipped up so fast she practically fell over.

"What? No! I couldn't... Ronon, this is..." she tried. She took a deep breath. "Ronon, this is a piece of your world. I couldn't possibly take this."

"You wouldn't be taking it," he said patiently. "I'm giving it to you. You would be accepting it."

"But...," Jennifer broke off as she looked down at the pendant. In a small, trembling voice she asked, "Are you sure?"

"Very," he said. He bent his head to find her eyes with his; green held hazel captive. His hand reached out and covered hers that still held the pendant. "This belongs to you."

Jennifer sat very still, her eyes locked on his, she could feel the warmth of his hand spread all the way up her arm and into her chest. She smiled shyly at him.

"I'm honored to accept it," she said honestly. Ronon grinned, apparently very satisfied with her answer.

"Good," he said. He pulled her hand towards him so that she ended up with her forehead against his. "I am honored to give it to you."

Jennifer closed her eyes and felt her smile widen. She breathed him in and reveled in the way of his skin felt against hers and the way his voice vibrated throughout her body.

"I'm also honored that while you were in a difficult situation, you still thought of me and brought this part of my world back to me," he continued.

"Oh," she breathed out, drunk on the nearness of him, her eyes still closed. "I'm pretty much always thinking about you."

Jen's eyes flew open as Ronon chuckled and she realized what she just said. She made a move to pull away, but his hand tugged hers and she remained in place.

"Oh, um," she said uncomfortably. "I didn't mean to say that."

"So, you don't think about me?" Ronon asked in deep voice. He moved his head a little closer so that his nose brushed against hers and his breath ghosted over her lips.

"No," she said faintly, her eyes slipped shut again.

"No, you don't think about me?" Ronon said. He brushed his lips against hers so briefly Jennifer wasn't sure they'd made contact at all.

"No," she whispered urgently, aching for the touch of his lips that were _right there_, feeling like she would die from the anticipation. "I think about you all the time."

"Good," Ronon said again before he kissed her.

His lips pressed against hers and then slowly, oh so slowly, moved so that he captured her lower lip. Jen made a small noise in the back of her throat. He didn't deepen the kiss and she didn't force it. They just took warmth and comfort in the simple contact. Then, just as Ronon reached up with the hand that wasn't holding Jen's to cup her face...

"Dr. Keller?" came from Jen's earpiece.

Jen whimpered, her lips still against Ronon's. She felt his curve upwards into a grin. Jennifer leaned back and tapped her earpiece with such a forlorn pout, Ronon practically had to sit on his hands to stop himself from just grabbing her and throwing her down on the bed.

"Keller here," Jen said through clenched teeth.

"Sorry to bother you Dr. Keller," one of the nurses said. "But one of the Marines just came in with a serious allergic reaction to something, we don't know what, and we need you."

"Of course," Jen said falling quickly into physician mode, her mind automatically ran through all the possibilities. "Make sure his breathing is clear, put him on oxygen if you need to and prep the allergy tests. Go ahead and draw a blood sample and I'll be there as quick as I can."

"Thank you Doctor," the nurse said. "Infirmary out."

Jen sighed deeply and looked at Ronon. He was looking at her with such a warm and serious look on his face, she almost considered calling the infirmary and telling them to handle it themselves. Almost.

"I have to go," she said ruefully.

"I know," he said. Jen furrowed her brow and looked worried, so he was prompted to ask, "What?"

"It's just..." she started and then went on to say, "It's always going to be like this. I'm on call a lot."

"Jennifer," Ronon said shaking his head. "You're a doctor. I understand."

"Oh, I know you do," Jen said. "That's not what I meant. I'm just... I never know when I have to just get up and go. I just want you to be aware of that."

Ronon studied her and then comprehended what she was trying to say.

"Jen, I'm more than aware of what I'm getting myself into," he said with a small smirk. She looked up with such a hopeful expression, he began to wonder if she'd had this type of conversation before with a much different outcome. He filed that thought away for another time. "Are you? Aware, that is? I'm not an easy man. I'm a soldier. And I'm not very good at staying away from fights. Are you prepared for what that means?"

Jennifer then did something that Ronon knew he was going to cherish for the rest of his life. She smiled at him and cupped the side of his face; her small hand was warm and sure against his skin.

"Hey, you're talking to the woman who has stitched you up nineteen out of the last twenty times you've been in my infirmary," she said, her smile completely open and honest. And for the second time in their acquaintance, the first time so many months ago in a quarantined infirmary, she threw his own words back at him. "Ronon, I'm more than aware of what I'm getting myself into."

Ronon leaned into her touch and she just watched him. Then she made a face and dropped her hand.

"I really have to go though," she said reluctantly. He just nodded and uncrossed his legs and helped her off the bed.

When they reached the door, Jennifer realized that he still held her hand. She smiled at him.

"Thank you again," she said. "For the pendant. For everything."

"Thank _you_," he emphasized. "For the box," then he grinned. "For everything."

Jen laughed and let him open the door.

"See you tomorrow?" she asked hopefully. "Maybe lunch? Or dinner?"

"Both," Ronon corrected. "Go. Go heal somebody and then get some sleep."

"Yes, sir," Jen said straightening her spine. Then she laughed a little. "Good night Ronon."

"'Night Jennifer," he said. He watched her walk down the hall. As she turned the corner he wondered how long it would take her to realize that the pattern on the pendant he gave her matched the pattern on one of his rings.

Ronon grinned to himself and went back inside.

_Look, we will say, you can almost see  
the outline there: her fingertips  
touching his, the faint fusion  
of two bodies breaking into light._


	4. Chapter 4

**Naming the Stars**

**Fandom:** _Stargate: Atlantis/Torchwood_  
**Rating:** T  
**Spoilers:** Both seasons of _Torchwood_ and at least Season Four and the very beginning of Season Five of _Stargate: Atlantis_. Mr. Woolsey is in charge and Teyla had her baby.  
**Pairing:** pre-ship Ronon/Keller, Jack/Ianto  
**Disclaimer:** Neither fandom belongs to me. The title and excerpts are taken from the poem Naming the Stars by Joyce Sutphen. Check her out!

**Summary: **Her hand absently rose to play with a small pendant hanging from a delicate chain around her neck and she blushed. "It turns out that the risk we sort of talked about? Well, it was totally worth the effort."

**A/N:** Thank you so very much to everyone who has reviewed and followed this story. Ya'll are the best! I had so much fun writing it. There will be a small one-shot after this story and then I plan to launch into a longer story and hopefully clear up any remaining questions.

Please let me know what you think!

* * *

**Epilogue**

**Torchwood Hub - Cardiff**

Ianto Jones set his freshly made cup of tea on the coaster on his desk and opened up his email. He sipped his tea (Earl Grey, hint of milk) as he perused the usual from various government departments and the odd enquiry from a member of the general public that made up the bulk of the messages.

He frowned and let the cursor hover over an email with the subject heading: **Click Here for a Message from Outer Space**. Ianto wondered how a piece of spam managed to find its way past the vicious firewall and spam-blocker that Tosh had created months ago. Then he smiled and clicked on it once it dawned on him who it was from.

After going past several password-protected screens and practically promising his first-born, he finally got to the video message.

Ianto leaned back in his seat and waited for it to load.

In the small screen, Dr. Jennifer Keller was seated at her desk in her office; she smiled and waved.

"Greetings Torchwood!" she said cheerfully. "This is Chief Medical Officer Dr. Jennifer Keller, also known as Ianto's intergalactic pen pal. I hope you're doing well and haven't been locked in any basements, cellars, crypts or other underground, windowless rooms in the last month. I've actually been pretty good. No catastrophes to speak of."

She rolled her eyes and made a face. Ianto grinned around the rim of his tea cup.

"Of course, no one's let me off base either so..." she explained. "That basically explains that. Anyway, we got the analysis done on the data you sent through. Luckily, even though there is a severe similarity, the enzyme is not from Pegasus. I've attached the summary for you. I think you're off the hook again. But do keep sending anything you find that has those characteristics to us."

Jen smiled sadly and shrugged.

"I know it's not much, but you really don't want to have to live under the shadow of the Wraith," she said seriously. "Anything that Rift spits out at you and you have even the slightest concern, let us know. Any and everything has to be done to keep them away from Earth. I'll see what we can do about speeding up the response time to your messages."

The doctor looked down at her hands then back up at the camera.

"On a more personal note, I just wanted to thank you again for what you did. The, ah, objects, have come in very useful," she indicated a small potted plant on her desk that was similar in size and form to a violet but had brilliant electric blue petals. "As you can see, we've been able to utilize several of the samples."

She looked around in an exaggerated manner and then leaned forward.

"You can actually eat the petals and the leaves," she whispered confidentially and winked. "They taste kinda salty!"

Ianto chuckled and watched as Jen leaned back into her chair.

"The other objects have found very appreciative homes. Very appreciative," she continued. Her hand absently rose to play with a small pendant hanging from a delicate chain around her neck and she blushed. "It turns out that the risk we sort of talked about? Well, it was totally worth the effort. So, thank you again."

Ianto smiled knowingly and raised his cup to take a sip.

"Well, I guess that's all for now," she said with a big sigh and a smile. "Let us know if we can be of any help to you. Make sure to say hello to the rest of the team for me. I look forward to hearing from you. Now, go and give Moggy and Captain Harkness a scratch behind the ears."

Ianto nearly choked on his sip of tea at the statement and the doctor's far too innocent face.

"And Ianto," Jennifer suddenly grinned and gave the camera a wicked look. "Make him purr."

She tapped a key on her keyboard and the video ended. Ianto just shook his head and put his cup down and started to download the attachments Dr. Keller sent.

"Looks like the fair Doctor is doing well," Captain Harkness' voice came from behind Ianto. Ianto just smiled a little and swivelled his chair around to look at Jack. The Captain was leaning against the doorjamb, his arms crossed in front of him.

"She does, doesn't she?" Ianto responded.

"She certainly does," Jack said. He nodded at the screen. "Are you going to reply?"

"Of course," Ianto said. "I've got some more samples they may be interested in."

"Mmm, I should have been more specific," Jack said as he arched his brow. "Are you going to reply right this minute?"

"Is there any reason why I shouldn't? Sir?" Ianto asked with a blank face.

"Well, I just happened to overhear the Doctor's instructions regarding a scratch, was it? Behind the ears?" Jack said with a grin. "Are you planning on following her orders?"

Ianto swivelled back to his computer and with a few taps on the keyboard, the computer went into stand-by and he stood up. He straightened his suit and turned to face Jack.

"Of course I was, sir," Ianto said as a sexy smirk stole across his face. "You know I always do as the doctor orders."

* * *

**Meanwhile at Stargate: Atlantis - Pegasus Galaxy**

"Make him purr," Jennifer said.

Then she tapped a key on the keyboard and stopped recording. She was so involved in the automated message encryption process before she even realized that Ronon was watching her from her doorway.

"Hi!" she said with a big smile. "How long have you been there?"

"Not long," he rumbled. He jerked his chin at the computer. "Who's making who purr?"

"Oh," she blushed. "Um, Ianto. Is making Jack... You know... They're together and I just...yeah."

She wrinkled her nose and laughed a little.

"I'm not sure I pull the innuendo off very well," she told him.

"Looks good from here," he said. He deliberately let his eyes trail slowly over her face, rest briefly on the pendant that rested on her collarbone and then he moved his head to try to look down at the rest of her hidden by the desk. Ronon smirked and raised his eyebrows. "Looks very good."

"Knock it off," she mumbled around a smile as her face burned red. "What brings you here anyway? It's not time for lunch is it?"

"Nope," he said. He showed her his upper right arm where a gash was still bleeding.

"Oh dear," Jennifer said as she stood up and walked over to get a closer look. "Teyla's back to sparring regularly isn't she?"

"How did you know it was Teyla?" he said as she examined the wound.

"Please, Ronon," Jen said as she lightly touched above and below the gash. "Like anyone else on this base can wound with as much precision as she does. Let alone actually land a hit on you."

The self-satisfied smile Ronon gave her was so smug and yet so endearing, Jen was torn between either smacking him or laughing. She settled for laughing.

"Come on you big, scary man," she said. "There's a suture in this infirmary with your name on it."

The scientist undergoing treatment for an ear infection nearly fell off the exam table when he saw the nice blonde doctor lead the big alien guy_ by the hand_ over to a chair, tell him to 'park it', which he _did_, and then proceed to stitch the guy up. _Without _anesthetic. _And_ they were smiling. At each other!_ A lot!_

The scientist shook his head in amazement. He could not wait to tell the guys in the lab about this.


End file.
